What is wrong with Euthanasia?
Although euthanasia is termed as one of the controversial topics in health care with contrasting views and opinions. It is indeed wrong to kill a person because of their pain and suffering. This is considered a crime in some nations. In Britain, for example, committing suicide, killing or giving counsel to a person regarding ending their own life can lead to 14 years imprisonment.
Euthanasia is wrong because killing is against some religious beliefs. Christians view life as divine, its God who gives it and it is only him who can end it. Humans should be respected for their dignity and worth. Sickness cannot take away a person’s dignity and worth. According to Christians, sick people need mercy and prayers instead of euthanasia.
Euthanasia is a form of inadequate palliative care. Instead of opting to kill the patient, offer proper medication that will ease the pain. Also, euthanasia threatens health care. The role of nurses and other health care practitioners is to offer maximum high-quality health care that will ease suffering and pain. They should respect the inherent dignity and worth of the patient and life itself. Mercy killings place health practitioners in an ethical dilemma as it against their ethics and principles.
Sometimes people confuse pain and suffering from the life of the person. These are two different things, instead of them dealing with the pain and suffering separately. They view them as one. Leading to eliminating lives rather than easing pain and suffering. Mercy killings do not only affect the patient but also society and the patient’s family. Losing a loved one is not easy to comprehend. Rather than opting for euthanasia health care practitioners should look for ways to minimize pain and suffering.
Allowing euthanasia can lead to the death of innocent people who have not given their consent. There are people with ill motives for others. They view the death of a person as an added benefit to them. People kill for various reasons, for instance, money and properties. Legalizing euthanasia will make cold-blooded murderers kill for their selfish interest leading to the death of innocent people.
Euthanasia is not an option and it is wrong. Instead of terminating a person’s life, health care professionals should seek alternative ways to use to reduce pain and suffering. Just as religion argues, life is divine and only God can end it. We should, therefore, respect it and let the patient die naturally.
References
McGlade, K. J., Slaney, L., Bunting, B. P., & Gallagher, A. G. (2000). Voluntary euthanasia in Northern Ireland: general practitioners’ beliefs, experiences, and actions. Br J Gen Pract, 50(459), 794-797.
Dixon, N. (1998). On the Difference between Physician‐Assisted Suicide and Active Euthanasia. Hastings center report, 28(5), 25-29.
Williams, G. (1965). Euthanasia and Abortion. U. Colo. L. Rev., 38, 178.
